Igor Volk
| Igor Petrovich Volk | |
|---|---|
 Igor Volk, 2.10.2008 | |
| Cosmonaut | |
| Nationality | Soviet |
| Born |
12 April 1937 Zmiiv, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR |
Other occupation | Pilot |
| Rank | Colonel, Russian Air Force |
Time in space | 11d 19h 14min |
| Selection | Air Force Group 5 |
| Missions | Soyuz T-12 |
Igor Petrovich Volk (Russian: Игорь Петрович Волк; born April 12, 1937 in Zmiiv, Kharkiv Oblast, USSR) is a retired cosmonaut and test pilot in the Soviet Union. He is married and has two children.
Military and test pilot
Igor Volk become a bomber pilot in the Soviet Air Force before joining the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1962. During this time, he became a test pilot for the Mikoyan Aircraft Design Bureau, piloting the Soviet version of the American X-20 aircraft. He has over 7000 flight hours logged in over 80 different aircraft.[1]
Space program
Igor Volk was selected as a cosmonaut on July 30, 1980, flew as Research Cosmonaut on Soyuz T-12, the 7th expedition to Salyut 7. One goal of the mission was to test the effects of long-duration spaceflight on Volk's return flight piloting as a precursor to piloting the Space Shuttle Buran.[1] He served as the head of the cosmonauts training for the Buran program and since the project's cancellation, as a Flight Tests Deputy at the Gromov Flight Research Institute in 1995 before retiring in 1996. He has previously served as President of the National Aero Club of Russia and Vice President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. As recognition for his contributions as a test pilot and cosmonaut he was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union on July 29, 1984.
Other accomplishments
Volk is also an inventor and is planning a new four-person concept flying car called the Lark-4 which takes off and lands at 45 km/h (28 mph) using a 27-meter (89 feet) runway. It consumes 11 litres (3 gallons) of fuel for every 100 km (62 mi) traveled and cruises at around 637 km/h (396 mph).
He was the first to perform the high angle pitch control maneuver on the Su-27 prototype known as the cobra maneuver, now known as Pugachev's Cobra after the pilot who first performed it publicly.
Honours and awards
- Title of Hero of the Soviet Union
- Title of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
- Title of Honoured Test Pilot of the USSR
- Order For Merit to the Fatherland 4th class
- Order of Lenin (USSR)
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour (USSR)
- Order of Friendship of Peoples (USSR)
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"
References
External links
Media related to Igor Volk at Wikimedia Commons- Detailed biography of Igor Volk
- Biography at Astronautix